MG Motor India has confirmed that it will introduce the 2-door Air EV in early 2023. Ahead of its market launch, the small electric car is likely to make its public debut at the Delhi Auto Expo in January. It will be the brand’s entry-level electric offering that’s said to be premium than the newly-launched Tata Tiago EV. The MG Air EV is based on the Wuling Air EV that’s already on sale in Indonesia. Prices of the new MG electric car are expected to be around Rs 10 lakh (ex-showroom).
Talking about the powertrain, the Air EV will come with a battery pack capacity of around 20kWh-25kWh and an electric motor making 40bhp. The model will also have LFP (lithium iron phosphate) cells, which are known for their longer life span, lightweight, no maintenance and better discharge and charge efficiency. Similar cells have also been used in the Tata Nexon EV. It will offer a range of 150km on a single charge in rear-world driving conditions. The small electric car will have FWD (front-wheel drive) system.
The British automaker will locally source the battery pack from Tata AutoComp. For people not in the know, Tata AutoComp has a joint venture with China-based Gotion to design, manufacture, supply and service Li-ion battery packs for electric vehicles in India. Gotion China is one of the leading battery cell and pack manufacturers in the Chinese market with multiple facilities.
Measuring around 2.9 meters in length, the MG Air EV has compact, boxy stance. It sits on a wheelbase of 2010mm. Some of its key design highlights include squarish headlamps, angular front bumper, nose with a full width light bar, slim fog lamps, a charging port door, 12-inch steel rims with plastic hub caps and small taillamps. In terms of features, the small electric car is likely to offer a dual 10.25-inch displays – one for the infotainment and one for instrumentation.
